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Planning board adopts SEQR negative declaration for 8 South Clinton Street; project to seek zoning variances at ZBA
Summary
The planning board voted to adopt a SEQR negative declaration for a proposed building at 8 South Clinton Street, finding no significant adverse environmental impact under SEQR standards; the applicant will pursue a single zoning variance at the Zoning Board of Appeals and return for architectural review.
The Poughkeepsie City Planning Board voted to adopt a State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) negative declaration for a proposed development at 8 South Clinton Street, concluding the project does not require an environmental impact statement under SEQR standards. The board’s action means the project can advance to the Zoning Board of Appeals for necessary variances.
That decision matters because a SEQR negative declaration clears the environmental-review step and allows the applicant to seek the remaining zoning relief from the ZBA; SEQR review does not determine whether the project meets local zoning rules.
“SEQR is about the standards … If the standard was any impact, we would never do any development because all development has impact,” Anne Sailor, chair of the Planning Board, said while explaining the scope of a SEQR negative declaration and cautioning that SEQR findings do not equate to zoning approval.
Jason Litchrick of JL Architecture told the board the project team had identified available municipal parking within 600 feet of the site and had received a letter from the city parking administrator identifying two municipal lots and additional on-street parking on Cannon Street. “Because we’re only looking for five spaces, there’s plenty available,” Litchrick said, and he offered to provide the parking letter to Planning Department staff.
Litchrick said the design was revised to fully enclose the parking area so it qualifies as a garage and eliminates the need for a parking-setback variance; with that change the project now anticipates seeking a single variance for a side-yard setback or an interpretation of the parcel’s zoning designation. He also said the design will add glazing at the street level to meet a 50% ground-floor transparency requirement in the PIDB zone rather than seek a variance for transparency.
Planning staff confirmed they had not completed a full architectural review because the project will need ZBA action that could materially change the design. The board approved the negative declaration on a motion; the record shows the motion passed with one member opposed.
The applicant will proceed to the Zoning Board of Appeals for the remaining variances. The planning staff and some board members said they will conduct a full architectural review and schedule a workshop before the project returns to the planning board.
